How would you like classic servers to be?

[want my Slimjim]

As long as I get my hunter mana back then hell yaah! They were so much better and fun back then.

[Deleted]

I'd like classic servers to stay away.

People think they can relive their nostalgia boners if Blizz gave us classic servers, sorry but you can't..

[melodramocracy]

I do get a chuckle out of people who adamantly don't want classic servers to exist. More than a few of them, when debating other aspects of the game, will openly state "if you don't like (random game element), don't use it.... it's not affecting you".

In truth, a classic server, one that is by definition a version of the game that absolute does have an 'end', is problematic for the MMO genre, unless that server was hardcore mode or pvp only. Otherwise, the portion of players that want to go back will do so, complete all they care to, and then request that the classic server be upgraded to another patch or expansion.... and you see how fruitless that would become from Blizzards point of view.

[Monstercloud]

Oh, hey look it's this thread again.

Classic belongs in the past. There are already servers that do the whole "Classic/TBC" only thing that aren't legitimate. Blizzard will never put up "new" servers that cycle through old content and archaic game design choices, and dedicate man-power to it. Seeing as there are already pirate servers that do this kind of thing, I don't see the point other than a "what if?" kind of discussion... which seems rather self-serving, as there's been a multitude of threads/sources that show why it would never happen, and the only way you could ask, "What if?" is if you trudge right on pass any legit criticism of the idea... which seems to be the M.O. of these kinds of threads.

[Krommm]

If in some alternate universe an official classic server existed, I would either keep it all the same with the terrible bugs or at least make every spec viable.

I don't think it is worth Blizzard's time though because players are more casual, toxic and are far too accustomed to the LFG tools combined with CRZ making servers not matter at all anymore. (Outside of PvP/PvE realm flagging difference)

[Deleted]

If not non-existent, then just as buggy and broken as they were upon release.

[Deleted]

I do get a chuckle out of people who adamantly don't want classic servers to exist. More than a few of them, when debating other aspects of the game, will openly state "if you don't like (random game element), don't use it.... it's not affecting you".

In truth, a classic server, one that is by definition a version of the game that absolute does have an 'end', is problematic for the MMO genre, unless that server was hardcore mode or pvp only. Otherwise, the portion of players that want to go back will do so, complete all they care to, and then request that the classic server be upgraded to another patch or expansion.... and you see how fruitless that would become from Blizzards point of view.

In a classic case of looking for evidence to support prejudices, these people always bring up the 'making a private server would use up resources and hurt the normal game'. As if Blizzard is some hokey indie outfit who can't afford to hire half a dozen people without losing a raid tier or something.

That or they just resort to bitter subjectivity ("Well you'd probably just get bored and realize Vanilla was shit anyway").

[Normie]

Deleeeted.

[FuxieDK]

First off this isn't a thread about me asking for classic servers. Financially and as a player I think they would be a waste for Blizzard to implement. But they are fun to think about.

Onto the topic, if Blizzard were to introduce some version of classic server/s what would you want them to be like?

1. Normal Servers

For me I would have starting off one normal server of each previous expansion. So one Vanilla, BC, etc. I would have them all progress at around the normal rate except all would be on the same time, around 2 years total for all. This would mean some would have a patches stretched out and other expansions would have some of the longer patches cut short. Also all patches with actual bugs, would be glossed over to the next patch immediately.

This ties into my second part of ideal system. After 2 years, you have the option to leave it on this server that will perpetually stay the same patch forever Lets call this server BC.a. Or transfer to the newly started server of the next expansion BC.a to the newly formed Wrath.b (Vanilla>BC, BC>Wrath, etc.)

Then the process starts all over again. Except this time if you want to stay in the same patch you transfer to BC.a so the most servers at any time for any expansion are two. The .a are stuck at the last patch forever, and the other is constantly recycling itself over and over either pushing characters to BC.a or Wrath.b. You can starting in vanilla progress all the way to whatever the current expansion at the time is after many 2 year cycles.

2. Fast Servers

Secondly I would implement 1, or however many they gauge people would want of "fast" servers. This would progress from vanilla all the way to the current patch then reset, with each expansion lasting ~6 months and raid lockouts being greatly reduced, but not removed. Once it hits the current patch you have to transfer to an existing realm, and the process starts again.

3. Race Realm

Finally I would have a.... "race realm". I have no idea if it is remotely possibly to implement or even something they would bother with. But I think it would be fun if there was a realm where you had to progress raid to raid, from vanilla all the way to highest progression of the current tier, doing the max possible hardness on all raids before. This would constantly update solely for you, or perhaps on a guild by guild basis. There would be no raid lockouts and this would be solely for guilds wanting to race or just see old content in a quickish fashion.

The kicker is, once you say hit whatever button tells blizzard to progress you to the next raid, you can never access the old raids again. Same for dungeons which would be the first tier of all expansions. So you have to adequately gear yourself before you move on and if you move on to early progress will be sluggish or impossible. Leveling, professions, etc would all be like normal which would add another factor to the whole race theme. This would be for the elite of the elite and would truly be an intense world first race to behold.

TLDR: 1, eventually 2 normal realms of each expansion. 1+ fast servers. 1 Race server.

This isn't for a debate on how good WOW is now or back then. Just talking about what type of alternate servers you would be interested in, with regards to them being of previous expansions.

How I would like a classic server? NON-EXISTING!

[Edison]

its just nostalgia talking to be honest, u would be bored of raiding or whatever after a month or 2, servers like this will never happen honestly. i remember how i wished i had those xbox games i played back in the days, i got the one i wanted and played it once and then went back to my other things, peoples should just drop it.

It's nice that you tell me it's nostalgia. Some of it is, but not all of it. As I said, I enjoy the shit out of playing vanilla private realms. But it's not the same feeling when you know that the host could take down the server any day. That's why i'd like blizzard to have an official one. It's not all nostalgia, overall I think that Vanilla (Tbc to and the beginning of WOTLK) was a better game than what WoW is now. And that's why I want vanilla realms back. I don't even understand the hate from the new wow players(or the old players that thinks vanilla sucked). It's like they are scared of a vanilla server or something. If you don't like it you wouldn't have to play it right? And all of these threads would stop, it would be a win win for everybody.

[Tavin]

The raids were pretty bad, lets face it. Unless there was 40 man again (doing that in the vanilla content would be too hard for a pug either way) or mass world pvp like tarren mill vs southshore. There wouldn't be anything to do.

[zorkuus]

I don't even understand the hate from the new wow players(or the old players that thinks vanilla sucked). It's like they are scared of a vanilla server or something. If you don't like it you wouldn't have to play it right? And all of these threads would stop, it would be a win win for everybody.

because they would have to dedicate people to keep those servers running which would take away manpower from adding new content to the actual game. So how about no?

In a classic case of looking for evidence to support prejudices, these people always bring up the 'making a private server would use up resources and hurt the normal game'. As if Blizzard is some hokey indie outfit who can't afford to hire half a dozen people without losing a raid tier or something.

Well why should they hire a dozen new people to cater to a very niche audience? I can almost quarantee this would not turn in enough profit (if any at all). So why should they? Out of the goodness of their hearts just because you wants it?

[fixx]

In a classic case of looking for evidence to support prejudices, these people always bring up the 'making a private server would use up resources and hurt the normal game'. As if Blizzard is some hokey indie outfit who can't afford to hire half a dozen people without losing a raid tier or something.

Just pulling numbers out of hat, but let's assume it would cost Blizzard around $500k per year to support vanilla realms (infrastructure, GMs answering tickets, developers for maintenance and shit) and they get $5 pure profit from each subscription per month. That would require 8000 subscriptions paying for whole 12 months which is equal to one "full" server to break even.

The big question is: how many people you expect to pay for 12 months? 1000? 2000? 5000? That's the question Blizzard is facing, and why they aren't gonna do it. They will only lose money on it with, and shareholders aren't gonna accept any projects that are projected to only lose money and never make a single dollar profit.

[Edison]

Just pulling numbers out of hat, but let's assume it would cost Blizzard around $500k per year to support vanilla realms (infrastructure, GMs answering tickets, developers for maintenance and shit) and they get $5 pure profit from each subscription per month. That would require 8000 subscriptions paying for whole 12 months which is equal to one "full" server to break even.

The big question is: how many people you expect to pay for 12 months? 1000? 2000? 5000? That's the question Blizzard is facing, and why they aren't gonna do it. They will only lose money on it with, and shareholders aren't gonna accept any projects that are projected to only lose money and never make a single dollar profit.

They would easily profit from it, and if a private person can run a almost perfect Van-server i don't think it would be to hard for blizzard. Bad excuses from them.

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The raids were pretty bad, lets face it. Unless there was 40 man again (doing that in the vanilla content would be too hard for a pug either way) or mass world pvp like tarren mill vs southshore. There wouldn't be anything to do.

In your opinion sure, me and a ton of friends loved the raids back in vanilla. World PVP was awesome, BG's with the HK system was awesome.

inb4 "No, it's nostalgia and you would get tired after 1 month"

[zorkuus]

They would easily profit from it

I doubt it. MMO-champion is a very very small slice of the overall WoW playerbase and even in here the polls have been unfavorable to your position. I'm afraid in the big picture you would be even more outnumbered. And how many of that very small group of players would continue to play a vanilla server after the initial rush?

"No, it's nostalgia and you would get tired after 1 month"

You? I don't know. A lot of others? Yes.

[Deleted]

because they would have to dedicate people to keep those servers running which would take away manpower from adding new content to the actual game. So how about no?


Well why should they hire a dozen new people to cater to a very niche audience? I can almost guarantee this would not turn in enough profit (if any at all). So why should they? Out of the goodness of their hearts just because you wants it?

Do you think Blizzard is some hokey outfit which can barely scrap together enough money to develop the game as it is? Legacy servers would not 'cost us a raid tier' as it were.

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They would easily profit from it, and if a private person can run a almost perfect Van-server i don't think it would be to hard for blizzard. Bad excuses from them.

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In your opinion sure, me and a ton of friends loved the raids back in vanilla. World PVP was awesome, BG's with the HK system was awesome.

inb4 "No, it's nostalgia and you would get tired after 1 month"

This.

If people working out of their bedrooms can put together playable Vanilla Servers and keep them running for free I really can't see how Blizzard's development budget would be so greatly dented by a vanilla server,

[Spoonman]

I wouldnt be interested in going back at all, sure u got great memories but acctualy going back all these years to 1.2 I Think u would be quite disapointed that the game wasnt acctualy as good as u rememberd.

But if others desperatly desire to this i dont have any issues with letting em, it just isnt for me.

[Deficineiron]

Wouldn't a Blizzard fanboy love Vanilla since that was made by Blizzard? There's not much logic in your statement.

The commisar has vanished. The game that gained 8 million net subs in 2.x years was in fact the worst game ever. And its Eyes of the Beast that would cost a raid tier to put back in game. Classic servers would, presumably, cost an expansion. (sarcasm)

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I do get a chuckle out of people who adamantly don't want classic servers to exist. More than a few of them, when debating other aspects of the game, will openly state "if you don't like (random game element), don't use it.... it's not affecting you".

In truth, a classic server, one that is by definition a version of the game that absolute does have an 'end', is problematic for the MMO genre, unless that server was hardcore mode or pvp only. Otherwise, the portion of players that want to go back will do so, complete all they care to, and then request that the classic server be upgraded to another patch or expansion.... and you see how fruitless that would become from Blizzards point of view.

If you don't like it, don't use it only applies to things the posters DO like. Shoe is not ambidextrious.

Classic servers would doubtless keep a permanent participant base. Classic AV alone would keep them active. never will happen, and if it did, you can bet your bottom dollar blizzard would accessibilize them and make them more FUN (you get FUN by removing fun, and channeling/prodding players into measurable participation/completion activities, which you then nerf over and over to get the completion rate higher).

[Deficineiron]

I would happily ban every last person that uses this tired, over-used and out of context shit in any post, forever.

OT: How about just have them be normal Vanilla servers? Have them be at 1.12 and Bob's your uncle.

Personally, I'd rather they were never implemented simply because it's further segregation of the playerbase. We don't really need more of that, imo.

sorry, thought was obvious from context I was being sarcastic. Do you also advocate the same for those who suggest that any extra work on something they don't want would cost all players new content, whether it be quest text in all quests in wod (presumably the text writers also code dungeons and do cgi), or eyes of the beast, or whatever?) Please remember that blizzard has HISTORY of canceling raids planned for development and replacing them with re-stocks of existing dungeons (4.1).

re 1.12 plain old as they were servers, I have noted my reasons above why I don't think that would happen. Activision-blizzard thinks big, and classic, by today's standards, is a pretty narrow target market given tuning, gating, time to gratifying event/shiny/etc, etc.

[Deleted]

I would happily ban every last person that uses this tired, over-used and out of context shit in any post, forever.

OT: How about just have them be normal Vanilla servers? Have them be at 1.12 and Bob's your uncle. Let people do whatever it is they want to do in the game.

Personally, I'd rather they were never implemented simply because it's further segregation of the playerbase. We don't really need more of that, imo.

1.12 with maybe a few client improvements like VoiP and bug fixes which were not fixed until after 1.12.